Arthur's Family Fun

The cartoon series based on Marc Brown’s young aardvark continues to earn high marks for the clever ways it reaches its grade-school audience. However, this DVD collection doesn’t reach far enough to be anything more than what airs on the local PBS station. And since the “family fun” theme is one commonly found in the ingratiating series, the lack of extra DVD features becomes all the more glaring. Still, parents looking for home-video entertainment that’s non-violent, educational, and truly funny will be happy to take this Arthur disc for a spin. Episodes explore the Ecuadorian culture of Arthur’s new neighbor, the issues of being an only child, and a domestic feud that involves tall-tale telling (featuring the series’ imaginative dream sequences).